Tanacetum parthenium, a plant commonly known as feverfew, has been recognized since the Middle Ages as having significant medicinal properties when taken orally as a general febrifuge, hence its common name. Many have isolated extracts of this plant, and those extracts have been used to orally treat migraines, arthritis, and bronchial complaints. See, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 4,758,433 and PCT Patent Application No. WO 94/06800.
Extracts of feverfew contain many components. Although not all components have been isolated and characterized, the known components of an extract of feverfew contain a significant number of biologically active components. To date, the chemical constituents of whole feverfew extract include, but are not limited to, apigenin-7-glucoside, apigenin-7-glucuronide, 1-β-hydroxyarbusculin, 6-hydroxykaempferol-3,7-4′-trimethylether (Tanetin), 6-hydroxykaempferol-3,7-dimethyl ether, 8-β-reynosin, 10-epicanin, ascorbic acid, beta-carotene, calcium, chromium, chrysanthemolide, chrysanthemomin, chrysarten-A, chrsyarten-c, chrysoeriol-7-glucuronide, cobalt, cosmosiin, epoxyartemorin, luteolin-7-glucoside, luteolin-7-glucuronide, mangnoliolide, parthenolide, quercetagentin-3,7,3,-trimethylether, quercetagetin-3′7-dimethylether, reynosin, tanaparthin, tanaparthin-1α,4α-epoxide, tanaparthin-1β,4β-epoxide, β-costunolide, 3-β-hydroxy-parthenolide, and 3,7,3′-trimethoxyquercetagetin.
The specific role that each of these component compounds plays in the biological activity of feverfew, however, is to date unknown. Some information, however, is known about the allergic reactions to the extract. It is believed that many of these allergic reactions are caused by the alpha-unsaturated gamma-lactones such as parthenolide. See, e.g., Arch. Dermatol. Forsch. 1975, 251 (3):235-44; Arch. Dermatol. Forsch 1976, 255 (2):111-21; Contact Dermatitis, 1988, 38 (4):207-8; Am. J. Contact Dermatol. 1998-9 (1):49-50; and Br. J. Dermatol, 1995, 132 (4): 543-47.
While there are reports that parthenolide may be useful for inhibiting photoaging of skin, see U.S. Pat. No. 6,130,254, there are no teachings which describe the use of an extract of feverfew with reduced amounts of the allergy causing alpha-unsaturated gamma-lactones for regulating skin aging factors or for treating and preventing environmental damage or external aggressions.